Strip guiding apparatus



1966 .1. w. O'BRIEN 3,269,627

STRIP GUIDING APPARATUS Filed April 13, 1964 3 SheetsSheet 1 I NVEN TOR. Jf/E'EMM/l w. oan/ew ATTORNEY Aug. 30, 1966 J. w. O'BRIEN STRIP GUIDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1964 INVENTOR.

REA/MAI W. 022/! 447 TOR/V514 Aug. 30, 1966 w, O'BRIEN 3,269,627

STRIP GUIDING APPARATUS Filed April 13, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

JEQEM/Al/ W. aaxe/s/v 5 Y ATTORMFK United States Patent 3,269,627 STRIP GUIDING APPARATUS Jeremiah Wagner OBrien, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United Engineering and Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 359,351 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 17, 1963, 15,024/ 63 8 Claims. (Cl. 226-179) This invention relates to a strip guiding apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus that is adapted to engage the opposite sides of a moving strip in such a manner as to assure passage of the strip over a predetermined path of travel. While it will be apparent from a reading of this specification that the invention may be readily adapted for use in guiding various types of strip-like material, such as, paper, rubber, plastic, etc., it has been found particularly useful in connection with the processing of steel strip.

In the passage of such strip through a rolling mill, or pickling, annealing, tinning and shearing lines, in view of the characteristics and speed of travel of the strip and the processing equipment the strip has a great tendency to move laterally relative to its path of travel. For various reasons, particularly in the modern strip mill, any appreciable lateral movement is intolerable. For example, in the process of rolling strip in a heated condition, as the strip rapidly issues from the last rolling mill stand, it is conveyed to a coiler where it is wrapped upon a rotating mandrel. It is extremely important during the coiling operation that the strip be prevented from moving to any appreciable extent in a lateral direction relative to the mandrel, since such movement results in certain convolutions of the coil extending outward from other convolutions thereof. Upon this occurring, when the coil is removed from the mandrel, rotated and brought to rest on one of its sides, the projecting convolutions are damaged, which damaged portions are not only unsaleable, but require additional labor to remove them from the coils. In certain cases the toleration of any substantial lateral movement of the strip during the coiling thereof creates a condition wherein the coil will telescope during its removal from the mandrel of the coiler. In addition to the possible loss of the entire coil, this condition in many cases caused delay in the coiler being made ready to receive a succeeding strip. The problem of lateral strip movement is particularly serious in the handling of the free leading end of the strip. In this instance it is usually necessary to retract the side guards away from the edges of the strip to enable it to freely pass to the coiler, since the leading end may be enlarged or cambered. Once the leading end enters the coiler, the side guards can then be brought into their proper guiding positions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a strip guiding apparatus which will engage at least one of the opposite edges of the strip in a manner that the strip will be confined and held within a predetermined path of travel.

In one form of the present invention the apparatus comprises a pair of rollers, each roller having at one end a rotatable concentric collar, a portion of which engages one of the opposite edges of the strip. One of the rollers and collars is adjustable to a predetermined position relative to the others, and at least one has the ability to be quickly moved relatively to the other, the construction has the advantage that one of the collar may be preset in its strip guiding position and one quickly moved into and out of its strip guiding position.

When the apparatus is employed in conjunction with a hot strip coiler, it can be advantageously arranged be- "ice tween the pinch roll unit employed to urge the strip into the coiler and the opposed strip side guards that normally precede the pinch roll unit. In this manner one of the rollers of the apparatus, including its strip guiding collar is traversed toward the center of the path of travel of the strip by the mechanism that traversely moves one of the strip side guards. The other roller of the apparatus, including its collar, is likewise adjusted by the mechanism provided for tranversely moving the other side guard, but in addition means are provided that will quickly move the roller and its strip guiding collar into and out of its operative position.

It is another feature of the present invention to provide the collars with relatively short, flat, vertical surfaces near the base thereof and to provide means for biasing the strip toward the rollers of the apparatus as it passes thereover. The relatively short flat surfaces of the collars are designed to keep to a minimum any differential in speed between the edges of the strip and the contacting surfaces of the collars. By urging the strip against the rollers, the strip is prevented from climbing over the strip guiding collars and of equal importance, the strip is caused to are whereby lateral stiffness is imparted to the strip which will assist in guiding it.

In one form of the invention it has been found advantageous to provide means that will urge in a horizontal direction the strip against one of the collars as it issues between the collars so that, if it is necessary for the collars to be open during the initial coiling operation, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, the one collar will serve as a straight edge for the strip along one of its sides.

These features and advantages, as well as others that will come to light hereinafter, will be more fully understood and appreciated when the following specification is read in the light of the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 represents a plan view of the hereindisclosed strip guiding apparatus which is illustrated in conjunction with the opposed strip entry side guards of a hot strip downcoiler of a hot strip rolling mill;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on lines IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the strip guiding apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1 illustrating a part of the downcoiler;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on lines IVIV of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on lines VV of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged partial sectional view of one of the strip guiding collars shown in the previous figures.

With reference to FIGURE 1 of the drawings the arrow located on the right-hand side of the figure indicates the direction of the path of travel of the strip as it issues from the hot runout table of the rolling mill, neither of which are shown. The lower roll 8 of the first pinch roll unit, however, is shown. As the strip issues from the hot runout table, it passes onto a strip entry table 9 of a coiler 10 partly illustrated in FIGURE 3 both of which are or ordinary construction, the table consisting of a plurality of rollers 11 which are rotatably received in the frame of the table and driven by individual motors 12. The rollers 11 are skewed or tilted to urge the strip in a transverse direction toward the one side of the table 9. The coiler entry table 10 is provided with a pair of op positely arranged extending elongated strip side guards 13 and 14, which are, in the usual manner, traversed toward and away from each other. The driving arrangement for tra-nversing the side guards is best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and consist of a motor 15 and two gear reducers 15a, the reducers serving to drive shafts 16 which are connected to each of the side guards 13 and 14.

FIGURE 2, which shows one of the shafts 16, best illustrates the relationship that the shafts 16 have to the guards 13 and 14. As shown, at the base of the guards, nuts 1611 are provided which extend into threaded portions 17 and 18 of the shaft 16, the threads on the portion- 17 being at opposite hand with respect to the threads on the portion 18. In still referring to FIGURE 2, it will be observed that the shaft 16 in the region of the center of the table is actually divided, the two centrally arranged ends being received in a common sleeve 19. A piston cylinder assembly 23 carried by the table 9 connected to the extreme end of the .portion 18 by bell crank 24 moves the shaft 16, its stroke controlling the extent of movement.

In this construction the side guards 13 and 14 are positioned transversely by rotation of the shafts 16. In addition, on the operation of the cylinders 23 the portions 18 of the shafts 16 are moved toward the right as one views FIGURE 2. Thus, there is provided a way for quickly moving the guard 14 away from the guard 13 and back again, at which time the guard 14 will be brought back to its guiding position. In FIGURE 2 the phantom lines represent the maximum operating positions of the guards 13 and 14 while the solid lines representing the minimum operating positions which correspond to the positions of the guards shown in FIGURE 1.

With reference now to the strip guiding arrangement of the present invention and in referring again to FIG- URE 1, it will be noted that toward the left-hand side of the figure there are provided two strip supporting rollers 25 and 26, the axes of which are arranged in the horizontal plane containing the axes of the rollers 11 of the coiler table 9. With reference first to the construction of the roller 25, as illustrated in FIGURES 1, 4 and 5, it will be noted that it is rotatably received in spacedapart bearings 27 and is driven by a motor 30 connected at the one end of the roller. At the lower .portion of the roller 25, as viewed in FIGURE 1, there is provided a concentric collar 26 which rotates with the roller having a strip engaging face which is best shown in FIG- URE 6. With respect to the construction of the strip guiding collar, FIGURE 6 illustrates that at the base of the collar 28, it is formed with a relatively short flat portion 31 that extends away from the center of the roller, terminating into a tapering portion 32. The portions 31 and 32 are preferably made up of hardened metal.

As shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and the opposite ends of the rollers 25 are provided with a base 33 to which there are formed projections 34 which are received in guide members 35, the guides being carried by a sub-base 35a. As shown in FIGURE 4 the motor 30 is supported by the base 33.

In now referring to the roller 26 of the strip guiding apparatus, it will be noted first that the base and associated guides are similar to that provided for the roller 25 as can be seen in FIGURES 3 and 5 so that no particular description thereof is deemed necessary. The roller 26 has a collar 36 similar to the collar 28 of the roller 25, except that it is arranged so that its strip engaging surface engages the opposite edge of the strip. The roller 26 is received at its opposite ends in spaced apart bearings 37, the lower end of which, as viewed in FIGURE 1, is connected to and driven by a motor 38 carried by the base of the roller.

With reference still to FIGURE 1, it will be noted that the roller 26 is connected to the side guard 13 by an arm 39 by which construction the roller 26 and collar 36 move transversely with the guide 13. As is discernible in FIG- URE l, the strip engaging portion 31 of the collar 36 is made to extend a slight bit in front of the strip engaging portion of the guard 13, thereby assuring that the total benefit of the strip guiding collar is obtained.

As already mentioned, the roller 25 is moved laterally. and for which purpose there is provided a speed reducer 39 which is driven from the mot-or 15 provided for the traversing of the side guards 13 and 14, this construction being best shown in FIGURE 4. As this figure shows, the reducer 39 drives a shaft 40 which has a threaded portion received in a nut 41 which in turn is received in a frame 41a. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, to the frame 41a of the roller 25 to which the nut 41 is secured, there is carried the base that supports a .piston cylinder assembly 42 which is provided to quickly adjust laterally the collar 28. This cylinder assembly is connected to the base 33 of the roller 25 by a bracket 42a. In this construction the rotation of the nut 41 will move the cylinder 42 and roller 25 as a unit, whereas on operation of the cylinder only the roller will move.

As in the case of the collar 36, the collar 28, when in its operative position, is adapted to be located so that its strip engaging surface 31 will extend slightly past the guiding surface of the guide 14.

As best shown in FIGURE 3, wherein a strip is identified as S projecting upward from the table 9 above the rollers 25 and 26, there is provided a frame 43 to which there is rotatably mounted a shaft 43a, the shaft having secured thereto an arm 44 extending in a downward o'blique direction. Also rigidly secured to the shaft 43a is a lever 45 to the upper end of which is connected a piston cylinder assembly 46 provided to rotate the shaft 43a and angularly move the arm 44 toward and away from the table. To the lower end of the arm 44 there is secured a freely rotatable strip holddown roller 47 which, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 3, is adapted to be brought into a nested relationship with respect to the strip guiding collars 28 and 36. As previously mentioned, it is the function of the roller 47 to maintain the strip S against the body of the rollers 25 and 26 thereby to resist any tendency of the strip to climb radially outward of the collars and to cause the strip to are which will impart lateral stiffness to the strip and thus improve the guiding thereof to the coiler 10. Of course, it will be appreciated that the desired contact between the strip and the rollers 25 and 26 and the obtaining of the lateral stiffness could be obtained by providing means for raising the rollers 25 and 26 relative to the strip, in which construction it would not be necessary to provide the holddown roller 47.

The equipment at the extreme left of FIGURE 1 represents the lower roll 48 of a second pinch roll unit and a coiler table 49 of the second coiler, not shown, the strip side guards 51 and 52 thereof also being partly illustrated.

A brief description of the operation of the herein disclosed embodiment of the present invention will now be given. Prior to the strip issuing to the coiler 10 over the entry table 9, the strip side guards 13 and 14 will have been preset by operation of the motor 15, in which as to the guard 13 it will be positoned to serve as an extension of the guard provided on the hot strip runout table (not shown). As previously noted the strip guide collar 36 will move with the side guard 13 and, thus, be presented in its operative position, wherein its surface 31 will extend in front of the strip engaging surface of the guard 13. The strip as it issues to the coiler will be urged against the guard 13 and collar 36 either by skewing the rollers 9 of the runout table or by other means.

After the presetting of the side guard 14, it will be retracted to its open position by the operation of the pist-on cylinder assemblies 23. The movement in this instance will be aproximately two inches. The collar 28 will also have been set in its operative position, when the guard 14 is preset, since they are both connected to the motor 15. However, as in the case of the side guard 14, the collar 28 will be moved to its open position by operation of the piston cylinder assembly 42, pending the passage of the leading end over the table 9, after which it will be brought into its operative position by the operation of the piston cylinder 42, along with the guard 14 which will be moved laterally upon the operation of the cylinder assemblies 23.

It will also be appreciated that prior to the strip passing over the table 9, the holddown roller 47 will be positioned in its upper inoperative position. As shown in FIGURE 3, with the roller 47 raised and the strip guiding collar 28 and guide 14 open, the leading end of the strip will pass over the table 9 into the coiler 10. The open condition thus allows for the fact that the leading end may be enlarged or cambered. Once the leading end is coiled, the piston cylinder assemblies 23, 42 and 46 are operated to bring the side guard 14, strip guiding collar 28 and roller 47, respectively, into their operative positions, in which positions the strip guiding surfaces 31 of the collars 2'8 and 36 will be positioned so that the separating distance will slightly exceed the width of the strip to prevent the strip from moving lateral beyond these narrow limits. It will be noted that these rollers being rotated will have the tendency to urge the strip on, the influence of the roller 47 assuring that the maximum guiding etlect is obtained from the strip guiding collars 28 and 36.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the arrangement illustrated could be altered in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the strip guiding collars 28 and 36 can be mounted on a single roller with means for moving them relative to each other. Also, as indicated, a strip guiding apparatus built in accordance with the teaching of the invention can be employed to guide strip-like material other than in connection with a coiler of a hot strip rolling mill.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 have explained the principles and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for guiding strip-like material during its travel along a given path comprising:

a first group of rollers for supporting the material during its travel,

at least two other rollers,

a disk-like material guiding member carried by and rotatably projecting from each of said other rollers and having guiding surfaces adapted to engage and confine the opposite edges of the material, respectively,

said members arranged in a staggered relationship relative to each other in the direction of the path of travel of the material,

two longitudinal extending material guiding members arranged in guiding relationship above said table having material guiding surfaces in guiding alignment with the guiding surfaces of said disks and adapted to engage and confine the opposite edges of the material, respectively,

means for moving at least one of said disk-guiding members transversely of said first group of rollers to place its guiding surface in a preselected guiding position relative to first group of rollers, and means for moving at least one of said longitudinal guiding members transversely of said first group of rollers to place its guiding surface in the same preselected guiding position of said disk-guiding member. 2. An apparatus for guiding strip-like material during its travel along a given path comprising:

a table over which the material travels which includes a pair of rollers,

said pair of rollers having first portions for at least partially supporting the strip and second portions serving as projections, one projection arranged to be engaged by one edge of the strip and the other projection arranged to be engaged by the opposite edge of the strip to restrict lateral movement of the strip, a pair of strip side guards mounted above said table, said side guards arranged in guiding relationship with said projections thereby to assist said projections in restricting lateral movement of the material,

means for adjusting said side guards laterally of the path of travel of the material,

means for adjusting said projections laterally of the path of travel of the material,

means for quickly moving one of said side guards to a predetermined position, and

means for quickly moving one of said projections to a predetermined position.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said projections consist of angular collars carried by and rotatable with said rollers having surfaces engageable by one of the edges of the strip.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said rollers are arranged parallel and closely adjacent to each other and said collars are staggered relative to each other in the direction of the path of travel of the strip.

5. In an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said table comprises several other rollers, means for driving said pair of rollers and said other rollers at approximately the same speed.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein one of said projections is connected to one of said side guards and movable therewith.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, including means for causing positive engagement between said pair of rollers and the strip.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said means for causing positive engagement between said pair of rollers and the strip includes an additional roller,

means for mounting said additional roller above said pair of rollers, and

means for bringing said additional roller into a nesting relationship with said pair of rollers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,025,184 5/ 1912 Crippen 242-76 X 1,700,099 1/1922 Shively 226-l99 2,208,504 7/ 1940 Arelt 226-- X 3,050,227 8/ 1962 Thevenaz 226179 X M. HENSON WOOD ]R., Primary Examiner.

J. N. ERLIOH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR GUIDING STRIP-LIKE MATERIAL DURING ITS TRAVEL ALONG A GIVEN PATH COMPRISING: A FIRST GROUP OF ROLLERS FOR SUPPORTING THE MATERIAL DURING ITS TRAVEL, AT LEAST TWO OTHER ROLLERS, A DISK-LIKE MATERIAL GUIDING MEMBER CARRIED BY AND ROTATABLY PROJECTING FROM EACH OF SAID OTHER ROLLERS AND HAVING GUIDING SURFACES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND CONFINE THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE MATERIAL, RESPECTIVELY, SAID MEMBERS ARRANGED IN A STAGGERED RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE MATERIAL, TWO LONGITUDINAL EXTENDING MATERIAL GUIDING MEMBERS ARRANGED IN GUIDING RELATIONSHIP ABOVE SAID TABLE HAVING MATERIAL GUIDING SURFACES IN GUIDING ALIGNMENT WITH THE GUIDING SURFACES OF SAID DISKS AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND CONFINE THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE MATERIAL, RESPECTIVELY, MEANS FOR MOVING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DISK-GUIDING MEMBERS TRANSVERSELY OF SAID FIRST GROUP OF ROLLERS TO PLACE ITS GUIDING SURFACE IN A PRESELECTED GUIDING POSITION RELATIVE TO FIRST GROUP OF ROLLERS, AND MEANS FOR MOVING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL GUIDING MEMBERS TRANSVERSELY OF SAID FIRST GROUP OF ROLLERS TO PLACE ITS GUIDING SURFACE IN THE SAME PRESELECTED GUIDING POSITION OF SAID DISK-GUIDING MEMBER. 